Wenhams Camp, Warby Ranges

I spent this morning at Wenhams Camp in the Warby Ovens National Park on the way to Chiltern for a long weekend of bird photography with the Melbourne Birdlife Photography Group.

I made sure to arrive early to catch the Eastern Grey Kangaroos that frequent the open grassland adjacent to the picnic and camping ground.

Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8, ISO 400, f/4, 1/4000

Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8, ISO 400, f/4, 1/3200

Many of the females were carrying relatively mature Joeys.

Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8, ISO 400, f/4, 1/1600

Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8, ISO 400, f/4, 1/3200

The main avian attraction here was the promise of spotting Turquoise Parrots. "Spotting" was an apt description as the two pairs I found provided only fleeting glances as they flew from tree to tree, usually obscured, at least partially, by intervening branches.

Turquoise Parrot (male), Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/1600

This female has a distinctly orange-red belly unlike the other three birds whose undersides appeared to be uniformly green-yellow.

Turquoise Parrot (female), Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/1250

Eventually, one came out into the open for a few seconds but had its head stuck in a hole.

Turquoise Parrot (male), Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/640

I am not sure if this was already a nesting hole or if the bird was just inspecting it but I didn't take the risk of disturbing it any further so I left quietly.

There were plenty of other bush birds to see including Brown-headed Honeyeaters high in the treetops.

Brown-headed Honeyeater, Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/1600

Brown Treecreepers and White-throated Treecreepers were doing their thing up and down tree trunks.

Brown Treecreeper, Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria

Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/400

Brown Treecreeper, Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/320

Brown Treecreeper, Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/500

White-throated Treecreeper, Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/320

Dusky Woodswallows were flying around the treetops but one perched on a low branch long enough for this shot.

Dusky Woodswallow, Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/2000

This Jacky Winter had been coming and going from this tree stump for about 15 minutes so I set up nearby to get a shot and just as I was pre-focussing on the stump to be ready for it next time it landed, the bird flew past without landing and I managed to fire off one shot of it in flight and in frame.

Jacky Winter, Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8, ISO 400, f/4, 1/4000

It did finally settle on a nearby tree.

Jacky Winter, Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8, ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/640

and eventually allowed me very close.

Jacky Winter, Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8, ISO 400, f/4, 1/2500

Similar to the Turquoise Parrots, this Speckled Warbler spent most of its time flitting from branch to branch, partially hidden by branches and foliage but I did manage a few shots of it mostly unobscured.

Speckled Warbler, Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/1600

Speckled Warbler, Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/1000

This White-browed Babbler was spooked by an overhead attack from what appeared to be either a Collared Sparrowhawk or a Brown Goshawk. It all happened so quickly, I couldn't identify the attacker but the potential victim remained still in this bush for several minutes.

White-browed Babbler, Wenhams Camp, Warby Ovens National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/400

All too soon it was time to move on the Chiltern for a walk around Lake Anderson.

Kerang Daytrip

It has been a while since I had the camera out so decided to hit the road early this morning for a daytrip to the Kerang Lakes area. Primary target was to find Orange Chat that had been reported in the region recently but also wanted to try out the new flash and Better Beamer and walk off some of the Christmas pudding.

First stop was Goschen Reserve, which was surprisingly quiet but I did manage to find a few cooperative birds:

I found a tree with a pair of Striated Pardalotes that were very active so I slowly approached then stood still for about ten minutes while they came closer and closer, this one eventually landing on a dead branch only a few metres from me.

Striated Pardalote, Goschen Reserve

I also got the chance to use the flash to fill in the shadows on this bird. For today, the first time using this set-up, I just set the flash to TTL and let it do its thing.

Striated Pardalote, Goschen Reserve

This male Hooded Robin allowed me to approach quite close and stayed still long enough for me to take a few shots with and without flash.

Hooded Robin (male), Goschen Reserve

The flash worked well filling the sidelit shadow and balancing the exposure better with the sky but shooting from below the bird gave an unnatural extra catchlight in the bird's eye.

Hooded Robin (male), Goschen Reserve

A little touchup with Photoshop makes a much more pleasing image.

Hooded Robin (male), Goschen Reserve

Woodswallows were everywhere, mostly flying high over the treetops catching insects but a few stopped in the trees long enough for some shots.

White-browed Woodswallow (male), Goschen Reserve

Dusky Woodswallow, Goschen Reserve

There were Singing Honeyeaters in most areas of the reserve. This one provided another good opportunity for fill flash (again with a little Photoshop to clean up the eye)

Singing Honeyeater, Goschen Reserve

Next stop was Lake Lookout to find Orange Chat, where they had been seen recently. I did find several among the saltbush and grasses around the lake but impossible to photograph staying under the bushes and flushing when I got within 30 metres of them. Several similar birds were also feeding on the exposed lake bed so I thought I'd try for some photographs. With no cover near the lake shore, I needed a way of getting close. After watching the birds for a few minutes, I noticed that they would zig-zag along the lake shore feeding so I found a suitable spot to sit and wait for the birds to come past. This proved to be reasonably successful but their almost perpetual motion made them difficult to track and focus on. I needed to wait for the occasional split seconds where they stood still to look around. These turned out to be Australasian Pipit but worth the stalking challenge...

Australasian Pipit, Lake Lookout

Australasian Pipit, Lake Lookout

Australasian Pipit, Lake Lookout

...mostly they looked like this

Australasian Pipit, Lake Lookout

So, no photographs of Orange Chat - maybe next time...

Last stop was Reedy Lake in Kerang, where apart from the usual ibis and waterbirds, there were more woodswallows - a third species for the day.

White-breasted Woodswallow, Reedy Lake Kerang

and several Black Kites flying around low enough for some shots

Black Kite, Reedy Lake, Kerang

Black Kite, Reedy Lake, Kerang

You Yangs

You Yangs Regional Park (see map) is one of my favourite places for bushland birding within easy reach (less than an hour's drive) from home. I visited there late in the afternoon and managed to find a few birds of prey cruising overhead. As I got out of the car at one of my usual stops on the eastern side of the park, I noticed this Wedge-tailed Eagle flying low over adjacent farmland

Wedge-tailed Eagle, You Yangs

and land in a dead tree in the middle of a paddock.

Wedge-tailed Eagle, You Yangs

A Little Eagle was also flying high overhead allowing reasonable views from the visitor centre

Little Eagle, You Yangs

although this Dusky Woodswallow was less impressed (and fighting several classes out of its weight division)

Dusky Woodswallow and Little Eagle, YouYangs

The area behind the visitor centre is usually good spot for robins, honeyeaters and parrots. There was not a lot of activity there this afternoon despite the eucalypts being in flower but the ever present New Holland Honeyeaters were in full force

New Holland Honeyeater, You Yangs

and, if you stand or sit still long enough, other birds will get quite close

Eastern Yellow Robin, You Yangs

Jacky Winter, You Yangs

Jacky Winter, You Yangs

The two photographs of the Jacky Winter are of the same bird taken less than a minute apart. It's amazing how different birds can look in different lighting.

Heathcote

I spent the night in Heathcote on the way to a long weekend of birding and photography in the central goldfields region with the MELBOCA Photography Group (highlights from these three days to follow). I arrived in the early evening with just enough photographic light left for a short walk along one of the back roads where there is a healthy roadside woodland corridor. 15 species seen in the trees and surrounding farmland (in 20 minutes) including: White-winged Chough, Australian Magpie, Magpie Lark, Laughing Kookaburra, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Red-rumped Parrot, Masked Lapwing, Welcome Swallow, Rufous Songlark, Red Wattlebird and White-plumed Honeyeater, none of which was particularly photographically cooperative. However, I did manage to capture these:

Dusky Woodswallow, Heathcote

Musk Lorikeet, Heathcote

Blue-faced Honeyeater, Heathcote

and one of my perennial favourites, the comedian of the bird world

Galah, Heathcote

but the highlight of the evening was this Willie Wagtail sitting on a nest in an old petrol bowser inside a farm shed (the owner saw me on the road while I was photographing the Galah and asked if I wanted to see this).

Willie Wagtail, Heathcote

The weekend:

Day 1 - Heathcote-Graytown and Axedale

Day 2 - Kamarooka

Day 3 - Whipstick and Bells Swamp